Use and Assessment of Multi-Spectral Satellite Imagery in NWS Operational Forecasting Environments

The NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center partners with NOAA/NWS Weather Forecast Offices to demonstrate future multi-spectral capabilities of the GOES-R Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) and the operational era of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) program's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). This is accomplished by providing forecasters with multi-spectral (false color) composites from similar spectral bands on the current Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provided by the NASA Terra and Aqua satellites, the VIIRS currently aboard the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (S-NPP), and the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) aboard EUMETSAT's Meteosat-10 geostationary platform. The recent launch of the Himawari-8 geostationary satellite and availability of the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) also provides new opportunities to explore GOES-R-like observations for applications over the Pacific Ocean. This presentation will review collaborative partnerships between SPoRT and NWS forecast offices in the use and assessment of aiding in the identification of fog and low clouds, blowing dust, smoke and wildfires, and other applications. In addition, the presentation will describe the types of feedback received from forecasters to support the O2R component of the broader R2O process, and future AWIPS II software developments proposed that will improve access to and use of multispectral imagery from a variety of satellite missions and operational programs.